By Moss Geren, Part-Time Writing Specialist
May 23, 2023
Revised in 2023 for the DSC Writing Center Blog,
This story was originally published in 2019 by the Working Title Podcast.

Artwork by Sadwittlebean

There was nothing in that forest but hungry spirits.

Theo’s log cabin was gaudily decorated for winter with cinnamon and evergreen tainting the air. The fir tree in the living room corner glowed with rainbow fairy lights and glittering ornaments; this used to bewitch him as a child, but the tradition no longer held any magic for him. There wasn’t much that made him want to rise from his couch or do anything at all anymore.

He did not struggle for food, shelter, or even the finer things in life, but he was somehow still lacking.

He wanted the glittering plastic and gingerbread to make him feel again, so he forced himself to decorate every year. Sometimes he thought if he celebrated the holidays just one more time, a childish sense of wonder would come back to him. That he would feel at least something. But Theo was empty, and he felt as ancient and unbreathing as the land beneath him.

The room was warm, but outside the wind screamed. Snow and bare trees surrounded his home for many miles, but the lights of a town could be seen in the distance on clear nights. At least no one would bother him here. He was never great at talking to people, and the quiet suited him.

Suddenly, a chill filled the air. The light in the fireplace sputtered out. Facing the dying embers, a petite humanoid creature sat cross-legged before the hearth.

Theo was still, his body tense. It felt like the air was charged with power; he could feel it wriggling under his skin. He waited for movement from his unexpected visitor, but none came.

Theo had never seen a being like this before.

She had spiked pale-blue hair, skin that glittered like fresh snow, and her pointed ears were transparent icicles. A cape of silver fur obscured most of her form, but she wore a sapphire circlet that glittered as she peaked over her shoulder at him. She looked wealthy, well-fed, but there was a feral hunger in her winter sky eyes. She was so inhuman and unreal; it felt like she would melt into nothingness if he dared turn away.

Theo wasn’t sure if this was the most amazing or terrifying moment in his life.

“It’s wonderful out there,” The creature remarked. She held her hands out to the fireplace as if to warm her clawed fingers. A layer of frost spread across the ashen logs, and a chill set into Theo’s bones.

“It’s too cold for me,” he said, his voice so calm it startled him. His eyes darted to the window. A gust shook the branches violently and whipped snow through the unforgiving night.

“I’m Hailstone, and I’ve come to make a deal.” She smiled with cat-like fangs. Drool trickled down her chin before she wiped it with her cloak.

“I’m Theo.” He replied, licking his lips. “Not that I believe you… but what kind of deal?”

Hailstone stood and turned with a flourish of her silver furs. She couldn’t have been more than four feet tall. As she moved, there was a light tinkling like glass chimes. The sound came from a sling that wrapped diagonally across her torso, then twisted into a belt. Ornaments of frozen flesh and teeth hung from it in intervals. Among them, Theo spotted a talon covered in fur, a serpentine tongue, and an entirely red sphere that might have been an eye.

“You like them?” Hailstone asked, brushing the ornaments lovingly. The frozen shapes clinked again as they hit one another.

Theo frowned. “I don’t collect oddities,” he said, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice. “I’m afraid I don’t want to buy.”

“You misunderstand. I’m not here to sell.”

Theo looked around the room, wondering what this mysterious creature could possibly want. He had food, drink, a place to rest, and quite a few baubles to offer. Maybe she’d like his grandfather’s old taxidermy– it was currently gathering dust in the attic.

Hailstone continued. “You see. I don’t have human in my collection.”

Theo snatched up the steak knife that was laid across a greasy plate on his coffee table, almost dropping the slippery blade. “Don’t touch me,” he warned.

Hailstone grinned more broadly, not bothered in the slightest. “I’d only take a small piece, and you’d receive a spell in return,” the creature explained in a reasonable tone, like they were still discussing the weather. “It can be anything you want within my abilities. I’ll leave right now if you aren’t interested.”

“A- a spell,” Theo repeated. His heart was beating frantically, but a kind of hunger gnawed within him. Theo desperately wanted the raw feeling of this moment. He needed something to make Hailstone real.

“Everyone wants something,” Hailstone said. She reached out, unfolding his fingers with a featherlight touch and plucking the knife from his hand. Theo’s skin became numb with cold where it touched hers. He couldn’t move. A primal fear in his gut told him that he probably couldn’t have hurt her if he’d tried.

“I could make it so you never hunger or thirst. I can offer immunity to the weapons of mortals. It all depends on what you want.”

“How long would the spell last?”

“It would be as permanent as losing a limb.”

Theo shuddered, but he was filled with morbid wonder. “How do I know you won’t skimp on your end of the bargain?”

Hailstone laughed. It was a heartless, wild thing. “I guess you don’t know what they call me where I come from.” The humor fell from her face abruptly. “As much as I hate the name, I’m the Honest Butcher. Do I need to come back with proof?”

“I want to be like you,” Theo blurted. He couldn’t wait another second, but he struggled to find the right words. Seeing her made him feel like there was a sense of wonder in the world. “You’re magic,” he said with awe, like a child discovering gifts in the dark hours before dawn.

“Well, I can’t make you a goddess,” Hailstone teased. “I can give you power, but it will be a pale shadow in comparison to mine.”

Under her gaze, Theo felt small and fragile for the first time in a long time. A goddess? He wasn’t sure what he believed, but he hadn’t been expecting this.

“What do I get in return for my gift?” Hailstone asked in a soft, lovely voice, craning her neck so she could peer up at his face.

“A tooth?” Theo suggested.

“I want something substantial for that kind of magic. Anyone can spare a tooth.” Hailstone examined her claws and picked at them pensively. “I’ll take your left hand for it. After all, when you feel this, you won’t need it.”

“A finger,” Theo replied firmly.

Hailstone’s eyes flicked to Theo’s with ferocious intensity. “Is that a yes?”

“Do it,” Theo whispered.

Dropping the knife, Hailstone darted forward nimbly. Her teeth pierced Theo’s skin, and it crunched like breaking ice. The air smelled of wet metal red. Theo howled. He yanked his hand towards his chest and blood oozed onto his shirt. When he looked down at the raw stump, Theo saw a scab had already formed. The wound was throbbing, but frost spread along the damaged skin.

As Theo cradled his hand, Hailstone froze his severed index finger onto her belt with practiced ease.

“I will find you if you ever want to make another deal,” she said. The next moment, Hailstone disintegrated into an icy flurry that rushed up the chimney like a gust of wind. The biting cold of it lingered. Only the smell of blood and a frozen hearth remained of her visit.

Theo could sense the magic now. It was like feeling without touching anything. He had another set of hands that stretched invisibly beyond his reach, but they weren’t hands. They weren’t flesh at all.

There was so much he didn’t know, so much in this world he couldn’t have imagined.

Theo examined his hurt hand. He stretched it gently. As easily as he could light a match, he reached out with nothing but his will. The frost in the fireplace faded away and a flame flickered across the logs.

For the first time in a long time, Theo felt truly alive.